Over a Year
by Poke-chan
Summary: Independence Day! A lot can happen in a year. New places, new faces, new experiences. Just what can develop between two polar opposites? Highlight on holidays. Kurofai RATING CHANGE!
1. St Valetine's Day

A/N: Yay! A Holiday series… Oh, how I've wanted to do one, and since I hate this holiday and have nothing to do but wallow in pity and emoness I figure I'll write. So, enjoy my little KuroFai on-going Holiday fic.

(Other relationships may pop up from time to time, as I see fit)

**Over A Year**

Kurogane leaned against the doorframe and stared moodily out at the frozen woodland. The trees were bare of all foliage and a thin layer of snow rested on everything as more floated down from the sky, which was a dull, smoky gray. A soft wind blew every now and again, adding to the chill in the air.

Crimson eyes scanned the dirt road, waiting for the return of his blonde companion who had chosen this morning to pull a disappearing act without warning. Because of such circumstances he'd been unable to leave the house's property to train like he'd been planning to. Today was fair weather compared to what they'd seen the past few days they'd been in this world.

As the minutes ticked by his patience grew thinner and thinner. That damn mage was taking his good old time getting back, probably just to piss the ninja off. All stinking day he'd been gone! What the hell was he doing anyway?

Just as he was about to tell the kid to keep an eye on things so he could go and skin himself a skinny magician said blonde came strolling up the road, three fairly large bags in hand and a wide grin plastered on his face. He spotted Kurogane and waved wildly with the arm holding the smallest bag.

"Kuro-rin! Over here! Call the kids down, I've got a surprise!"

He felt his eye twitch as his last bit of resolve crumbled. "Screw you! Where the hell have you been all day? I had plans, that you totally ruined, by the way!"

Hearing the all too familiar shouts the princess and kid appeared at the foot of the stairs along with a giggling manjuu bun. Fai entered the house and kicked the snow and dirt off his shoes before walking all the way in. He set the bags down on the table they used for eating among other things and grinned at the lot of them like he'd done nothing wrong or out of the ordinary.

"Fai brought presents!" chirped the white creature as it jumped up and down beside the bags. "Wah! Presents for Mokona?"

With a grin so completely stupid the lanky man answered by reaching in the largest bag and pulling out several smaller ones before explaining. "Apparently, today is a holiday in this world that celebrates loved ones. And, since Mommy loves you all so much, I took some advice from a girl at the shop I was in and got a traditional gift."

He handed out each of the smaller bags, his smile getting wider and wider with each person until he finally placed a small, white, plastic bag in Kurogane's hand. He tossed a glance at the kids and pork bun to see them all pull out a different type of chocolate and thank the buoyant mage. He reached in his own bag and found a round shape wrapped in foil. It was orange and had swirly brown letters on it that he couldn't read.

Fai leaned in closer and poked the orb in his hand. "The girl said it tasted like chocolate and oranges," he cooed. "It made me think of you, so I got it."

He was tempted, very tempted, to ask what the hell he had to do with chocolate oranges, but held his tongue. He just didn't have the ability to put up with some very strange and nonsensical explanation that would only give him more of a headache. So, he muttered thanks and plopped into a chair.

"Oh, there's more to the day!" Fai squealed, positively delighted about something. "You're supposed to spend the day doing fun things together with someone special." His hand shot into his pocket and came back out holding two bright pink tickets. "In town there's this fun place called an indoor amusement park, and these tickets will get the two of you in for the rest of the day."

He waved the pair back and forth before placing them firmly in Syaoran's hands. Both of the kids stuttered and tried to politely decline, but to no avail. Fai insisted that the pair spend a day of fun out on the town before things got difficult again. Eventually, they accepted and thanked the man over and again until all three; Sakura, Syaoran, and Mokona, were out of the house.

"I could still understand people when I bought the tickets so don't worry about trying to stick close," he called after them happily. When the trio was out of sight his bright grin smoothed a little and it became a more sympathetic, a wistful upturn of the lips. "I really do hope they have fun."

Kurogane snorted. "I really hope the witch doesn't call because of your interference. The kid gave up their bond, why are you bothering?"

He sighed and turned the sad smile on him. "Just because Sakura-chan doesn't remember Syaoran-kun doesn't mean they can't have a bond." He sent one quick glance back out the window before taking a seat next to the dark-haired man and pulling something out of one of the other bags.

It was some kind of alcohol, strong by the smell of it. And the mage had three bottles of the stuff. He stood from the table and took one of the bottles with him. When he caught Kurogane's questioning look he beamed at the taller man and said, "For later" as he placed it on a high shelf.

The ninja swore, if he was planning on giving some of this to the kids he'd wring his neck before he even got the words out. But that was later on. Right now, he was going to grab a glass and drink. A nice way to spend the day when training wasn't an option.

Fai returned and handed him what was called a "shot glass" and poured himself one while Kurogane did the same. Both men downed their liquor and poured another. They drank four or five glasses before either decided to speak.

Fai glanced at the man next to him, a sly look in his eyes. "So, Kuro-wanwan," the ninja's eye twitched, "I wonder if you have someone special that you'd spend this day with back in your world?"

He looked at the mage before him. "No, I don't. I had no time for such things."

"How sad!" Fai face was a comical version of pity as he downed another glass.

"What about you, Mage?" He asked, figuring that he wouldn't get an honest response, if he got one at all. It was his biggest pet peeve with the blonde, far worse than those stupid nicknames.

He smiled goofily at the taller man. "Don't be silly, Kuro-chi!" Then, much to his surprise, the face shifted into a sadder look, regretful almost. "Why would I?"

By this time both of them had had at the very least ten of the little glasses, he'd lost count. Not that it mattered much, both could drink his weight in booze and come out with nothing more than a killer hangover, and maybe a slightly slower reaction time when really smashed.

That was the usual case. But, apparently, this world's alcohol was magic or some other crap because his judgment had to be impaired. It had to be for him to say what he said after Fai asked his question, rhetorical no doubt, too.

He grunted lightly and said, "There had to be takers, you're gorgeous." He noticed right after he said it. Maybe it was the slowed reaction time…

Next to him Fai's pale skin tinged pink and his eyes widened a fraction. He looked at Kurogane, the drink that had been halfway to his lips forgotten and left in his hand, mid-trip. "What?"

He cursed inwardly. He'd said it, no taking it back. But there was no way in hell he was repeating himself. "You heard me," he grumbled, staring into his glass. He could feel his own cheeks heating up dammit.

The wizard didn't say anything. Hell, he didn't even move. Was he mad? Confused? Probably. He really needed to learn to be less honest sometimes.

He was going to ask if the skinny man was okay when he finally decided to become reanimated and drain the glass he had in hand. He reached over to pick up the bottle they'd been drinking from, shook it a little and heard a small amount slosh in the bottom before he turned it upside down and drained what little was left. He set the bottle back on the table and took a deep breath, like he was getting ready to do something he didn't want to and that would cause pain or something.

When his blue eyes snapped back open he stood, announced that he was heading upstairs, and went.

This left a very confused and dumbstruck Kurogane at the table with no booze of his own. He debated within himself momentarily about whether or not to go chasing after Fai. In the end he figured he might as well follow the man and explain things. Not that he was sure just how he'd do that seeing as he had no idea why he had said what he did.

Nonetheless, he stood and trekked towards the room the two of them shared. The door was closed, and inside was silent. He walked up to it and knocked softly at first, trying not to appear angry or upset. When the wizard didn't answer he knocked again, just a little harder.

There was a muffled grunt from somewhere inside and he opened the door.

On the bed was a fairly large lump that was identified as the magician in question. He sat next to it and gave it a light poke to show that he was there. "Mage," he said, trying to get a response. Nothing. "Oi, Fai," he tugged lightly on the blanket, not pulling it off but showing what he wanted.

There was a questioning noise from inside. He took that as a cue for him to go ahead and speak. "Look, I'm sorry if I said something wrong to you. I'm not going to take it back, though." He thought about saying it was true, because whether he liked it or not it was.

Finally, Fai's head emerged from the mass of sheets and glanced at the ninja. His face was all confusion. He opened his mouth and what came out was pure and utter nonsense. But nonsense he'd heard before. The magician was speaking his own language. Asking a question by the sound of it.

Damn, the kids were too far away! "Can you understand me?" he nodded his head to illustrate, "Yes." Then shook his head, "No." And waited.

The blonde shook his head no. Then started talking again while moving his arms wildly. Kurogane grabbed them and make him stay still. He tried to sign language what he was trying to get across, but the other looked totally lost. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

This was going to get very frustrating very quickly. He could only hope the kids would wander back into the area of them being able to speak soon. He grumbled curses under his breath. How inconvenient! Just when he decided to play the nice-guy and apologize to the blonde for freaking him out this shit happened!

Kurogane took a deep breath and looked Fai dead in the eyes. He _had_ to get his point across. There was no way he was going to let the other go on thinking he was a weirdo or something.

First, he gestured to himself and waited until Fai showed he understood what it meant. Then he gestured to Fai, the mage caught on quickly enough. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard. As he went he spoke out loud, "I. You."

Now for the hard part; how did you sign language "sorry"? He though to spell it, but they didn't even have the same writing system. Maybe if he used the same gestured the other did when he said such things.

He pointed at his own mouth to show he was talking about something he said. Then he sighed and gave an exaggerated shrug. He waited. When Fai didn't show that he understood Kurogane repeated his movements. Still nothing.

"I'm sorry if I offended you downstairs!" he flailed his arms towards the stairs and his mouth and the space between them. This time it dawned on the blonde, but rather quickly for him to be translating the crude sign language Kurogane was using.

The mage's cheeks tinged pink. "Th-that's okay, Kuro-pyon. I guess I shouldn't have worried you by running off," he said, looking down at his hands on his lap. When he was done talking he looked up and flashed Kurogane a smile, and a very fake one at that. "And it looks like the kids are playing on the boarder of our communication link."

"Don't look at me like that, Mage," he napped, ignoring the obvious attempt to change subjects. "Wipe that fake grin off your face, right now."

Fai looked completely shocked at the ninja's outburst. Put he quickly recovered and smiled at him once more. "But it's not fake at all Kuro-"

"Shut it!" Fai fell silent and stared at the dark-haired man beside him. "I've been traveling with you long enough to know enough about your damn habits to tell if you're faking something. And you know what, that smile is the worst thing I've ever seen. If you aren't happy, don't act like you are. It does no good." He paused, he felt like he wasn't done talking, but he wasn't sure what he felt like he should add. So, he just let his mouth run.

"It won't bother those who don't notice, but those that do and care for you will get hurt, so cut it out."

The whole time Fai had said nothing. He had just sat and listened to Kurogane. "How do you know?"

"Know what?"

Fai glanced down at his lap again, looking as if he were ashamed to be speaking. When he looked back up the sight made the taller man's heart clench painfully.

His eyes were rimmed with tiny tears that made them swim. The expression they held was one so lost and frail he had to hold back the urge to pull him close. The very aura of the slight man screamed of sadness and the need to not be alone. It pulled at his heart so much it was almost unbearable.

The smaller man's mouth opened to speak, but, once again, what came out made no sense. Kurogane put his hand up to stop him and said that he couldn't understand, though it wouldn't matter what he said, the blonde wouldn't get it.

Still looking lost he sighed heavily and leaned back against the wall. He muttered something to himself and pouted. It wasn't that playful, teasing pout he so often used when Kurogane didn't give into him. No, it was something else. It looked the same, but the feel of it, the emotion in the eyes. They were off.

He was sad. Fai was sad and showing it.

The warrior felt a strange mix of sympathy and pride for the wizard. He didn't like it that he was upset, but at the same time he was glad that at least he was showing it.

To show that he was there for him Kurogane placed a hand on the thin shoulder and leaned back next to him. He felt the other shift and settled into a more comfortable position. He then began to list off strange words. But the sound and steady rhythm in which he spoke the raven-haired man guessed he was counting.

He too began to count out loud. And soon he could understand what number he was at. Just incase he'd missed the last thing Kurogane had said, or wanted to change the subject he repeated himself. "How do I know what?"

He felt the slight flinch beside him. "How I feel. I notice it, too. I see you notice every time something happens that bothers me, every time I try to slip my mask on a little further. You always catch me. I can see it on your face…" He waited for him to continue. The ninja was sure he wasn't done.

And was proven right when he took another deep breath. "Thank you for all those times you didn't say anything in front of the kids."

He grunted to show it was no big deal. The younger half of their group didn't need to worry about him. The two of them were the adults. Whether he liked it or not (and he had surprisingly little problem with it) it was both of their jobs to take care of the teens. If one of the grown ups needed worrying about he'd take care of that personally.

He peered over at Fai just in time to catch a small upturn of his lips before it vanished. He wasn't sure, but it had looked far more real than anything he'd seen from the man thus far. It made his chest flutter in an odd but not entirely unpleasant way.

For the next two hours they spoke on and off, depending on if they could understand what the other was saying. After a few rounds they began trying to teach the other his language. They'd take turns teaching phrases and key words while the other would fumble with pronunciation and trying to figure out the others attempt to motion the meaning.

After about five or six rounds, each lasting from five to forty minutes, they were able to understand each other. They headed downstairs. Kurogane cleaned up from their drinking binge while Fai started on something for dinner that didn't consist mainly of chocolate. He hadn't wanted to. His idea had been to let the kids enjoy their treats. But the taller man had insisted they feed the lot of them properly if they wanted to get anything done.

Whining about strict Daddies Fai danced around the kitchen preparing a quick meal, seeing as the kids would be returning soon.

Kurogane finished his clean up rather quickly and made his way over to the room the other was in. On his way he grabbed his Valentine's Day gift and popped a piece of the strange candy in his mouth. It had a very unique flavor that wasn't that bad.

As Fai cooked he munched on the small treat. When the mage spotted the candy he broke into a huge and genuine smile before tossing himself at Kurogane and telling him he was ruining his dinner.

He tried to take the candy away, all the while saying that the ninja wasn't going to be able to finish his dinner. Said ninja just chuckled as he skillfully kept the morsel out of the other's reach. Until he started to climb him that is.

"Hey! What are you doing?" he tried to shake him off but the blonde had already reached his goal, the last piece, shaped like an orange slice as the other parts had been so cleverly done. He opened his mouth and snatch the sweet right out of his hand.

Pleased with himself he slid off Kurogane and finished cooking. "Thanks for sharing, Kuro-puu!"

He felt his eye twitch. "Share nothing! You stole that!"

"So, you liked it?" he chirped happily.

Thankfully, before he even had the chance to answer the door opened and in walked the kids and the manjuu. All three were smiling and laughing about what fun they'd had. They made their way through the house and into the kitchen; Mokona bouncing around saying it was hungry. Grinning like the fool he was, Fai scooped some kind of noodles and cheese sauce into plates and set them out for the kids and them to eat.

He took a seat a little bit closer to Kurogane than usual and asked the trio who had escaped the house that day, "So, did you three have fun?"

As they prattled on about what they did and saw Kurogane smirked, half listening as Fai patted his hand in thanks.

Maybe being stuck in a house with the mage could yield interesting outcomes. So long as alcohol was involved.

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A/N: Ah, all done. And it only took a month! Why am I oh-so proud of that time frame? Two reasons: 1) I usually take longer than that to post/write stuff and 2) its before the next holiday (I'm skipping White Day for my own Yuuko-related reasons).

I hope you guys liked this. If you guys want to request an upcoming holiday ('cause I was raised Catholic and only know those holidays well enough to write about them) I'd be happy to. Just tell me its name and a brief description of how and maybe why it's celebrated.

Ja ne!


	2. April Fools & Birthday

A/N: Two reviews! Can I has some more? Well, anyway, here's the next chapter. And it's a two-for! I'm going to combine April Fool's Day with Sakura's and Syaoran's birthday! Yes, it's late. And, yes, this will probably always be the case. Hope no one minds, 'cause I can't do anything about it if you do…

(Other relationships may pop up from time to time, as I see fit)

**Over A Year**

"Happy birthday to you!" sang Mokona and Fai as Kurogane sat back and watched that no one set themselves on fire.

It was the kids' birthdays and the damn mage had insisted on celebrating, even though they had said it was fine and he didn't have to go through all the trouble. Kurogane was beginning to think that the mage lived for doing crazy and unnecessary things. Mokona had been completely gun-ho about it as well, even going so far as to call the Time-Space Bitch and announce the happy event.

She'd been thrilled and had sent over a big, chocolate cake. She'd said that it was a gift and free of charge, but nothing was ever free with that Witch Bitch. So, he wasn't going to eat a damn bite, not a chance.

Cheering came from the little party as Fai began cutting the cake, now free of lit candles. Everyone received a big, goopy piece and dug in. While the kids and manjuu ate Fai made his way over to the ninja holding two plates, each with a piece of cake.

"I'm not eating that."

Fai smiled and set one down on the counter he was leaning on. "But Yuuko-san said it was a gift."

He snorted, not even bothering to explain himself to the wizard.

Fai gave a light huff as he leaned on the counter beside the taller man and started on his own serving of sugar. Kurogane noticed he kept peeking over at him through his bangs. He was probably looking for a chance to shove some of the crap down his throat like what happened back in Outo.

He knew better now, never let your guard down near a crazed, flamboyant, magician hell-bent on making your life hell. Not that it really helped half the damn time. The blonde was crafty. And no matter how much he wished it, Kurogane couldn't be on guard constantly.

But right now he had no problem keeping an eye on the tricky man beside him.

Fai finished his piece and offered the other to Kurogane one last time before starting on that one as well. He hummed as he ate, seemingly happy as could be. He still glanced over at the ninja every now and then, but not to shove food down his throat.

It was a different look he was getting, a more contemplative one that didn't have to do with pranks and play. Blue eyes peered at him from the other side of silky-looking, blonde bangs. He could only guess at what was going on inside that head.

Kurogane was going to ask. The not-so-covert glances were starting to annoy him. But, he quickly finished with his dessert and pranced off into the other room with the kids and manjuu. No matter how badly he wanted to ask something of Fai he would never do it in front of or around the kids. The mage knew that, and occasionally used that fact to his advantage.

He followed the lanky man and watched as he and the kids played games and tossed around confetti and balloons. They were having fun. More fun then he'd seen them have in a while.

Feeling generous, and self-destructive if he really thought about it, he made his way back into the kitchen and brought back a few bottles of sake. He handed them out along with glasses and toasted the childrens' birthdays.

He was sorry for it not even and hour later.

As expected, the princess and Fai were rolling around meowing their heads off. They jumped from furniture and danced around the room. Syaoran had somehow gotten hold of a fly swatter and was proclaiming himself "Mighty Slayer of Bugs" while swinging his "weapon" wildly through the air. Mokona just romped around screaming it's head off gleefully.

He just sat in a corner and made sure no one died.

Finally, the kids and manjuu fell asleep. He carried them upstairs and set them in their beds, leaving the princess to cuddle with the annoying white bundle. He double-checked that they were both asleep and safe before making his way back downstairs, hoping to find a sober Fai. The drunken games were all well and good with the kids, but if he was going to be a hammered moron the ninja was dragging his ass to bed as well.

Though, when he did make it to the living room Fai was sprawled over the couch, a slightly spacey look on his face. So, he was tipsy now? At least he wasn't meowing.

He drew closer and the blonde let a huge yawn roll from his mouth. He made a noise not unlike that of a purring cat and he stretched on the seat. He closed on eye and kept the other trained on Kurogane. The taller man raised and eyebrow at the other.

"Kuro-pon is a good daddy!" he giggled. He sat a little straighter, not by much, to give Kurogane room to sit. When the dark-haired man settled down he found a head in his lap and a smiling face looking up at him.

He glared down at the smaller man. "Get off of me, mage," he growled. He was not in the mood for one of his games, drunk or otherwise.

But, as expected, the other didn't even bat an eye. He instead snuggled down and sighed happily. "So comfy!"

"I-" he started to shout, but remembered the sleeping children. "I'm not a damn pillow," he said harshly.

He shrugged and continued grinning like he couldn't want to be in another place. This only served to piss off the warrior. He began to squirm out from under the magician, but the other wrapped his arms around his waist. He protested loudly in a whining voice. Panicking at the thought of waking the kids he stilled and clamped a hand over the blonde's mouth, shhing him for good measure.

"Do you want to wake the kids?" he hissed as he removed his hand, trusting the fit was over.

He was correct for the most part. Totally wrong on the other hand. The wizard did indeed stay quiet, but he also got much, much closer. He pulled himself up by wrapping thin arms around Kurogane's neck. Before the larger man knew it their noses were a breath away from touching.

He tried to pull back, but he was stopped by the back of the couch they were sitting on. He saw a sly grin slid into place on the blonde's mug. _'This is not good…'_

Fai pressed his nose against his and cooed sweetly. "No, they should stay asleep. Mommy wants some alone time with Daddy."

His voice dripped with honey as he slid his hands down the other man's back. On reflex Kurogane pressed his back against the couch as hard as he could manage with the plush material. It didn't do much to halt the progress of Fai's hands, though it did slow them and buy the flustered ninja some time.

"W-what the hell do you think you're doing?" He inwardly cursed himself for stuttering. What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he letting that idiot get to him?

For a moment he searched for the answer to these questions. When he came up empty handed it confused him even more. This shouldn't have been happening. He was always so confident, in control. Nothing threw him this far off balance.

Not even crazy mages with unknown intentions and smooth skin running along his chest- WHAT?

Fai's hands had abandoned his back and were roaming up and underneath his shirt, brushing against his bare chest. The skin of his fingers were cooler than his, and softer than his own calloused hands. He felt his heart speed up and was positive the mage, now straddling him, could feel it with his hand.

He needed to get Fai off of him before something regrettable happened.

First things first, he removed the roaming hands. He grabbed the thin wrists in his hands and pulled them up, making them level with their owner's ears. He then held them there while he tried to figure out what was going through the other man's head. He wasn't drunk, that much Kurogane knew.

If not drunk then what? He was totally in the dark as far as the skinny man's intentions were concerned. He had no idea if he was just messing with him or if was something else deeper. Both scenarios were equally likely from what he'd learned about his traveling partner. Fai was unpredictable and in some places insecure.

Was he upset about something? Quickly, Kurogane ran through the past few days, trying to spot any change in the mage's mood, if only brief and seemingly unimportant. Nothing came up and this perplexed the ninja further.

Now Fai was just looking at him with some kind of questioning expression on his face that made Kurogane feel like he was the one who was acting strangely. Just what he needed, to have his questions flipped on him.

No more games, time for answers. "What are you doing?"

Fai blinked once, slowly, before speaking. "Mommy and Daddy things," he answered with a tone one would expect to be directed at a child asking an obvious question.

He growled lowly, he was half expecting something plausible. Silly him. "Not funny. We are not a Mommy and Daddy."

He smiled now. "Then what are we?"

"Two of five travelers, each with his own mission and reasons." He knew he was being blunt and more than a little mean in his tone, but he didn't know how much more he could take.

Fai tilted his head to the side, causing his messy mop of hair to sway to the side with the movement. "And we are also Mommy," one of his fingers pointed at himself, "and Daddy." He pointed to Kurogane.

"How the hell do you figure? We don't have kids." Fai pointed upwards, indicating the children sleeping upstairs. "They aren't ours."

"But we take care of them and look after them and care about them, just like parents would. You teach Syaoran-kun swordsmanship. I teach Sakura-chan how to cook and clean and help out in ways she can. Just like good parents." He said all of this with such a plain and matter-of-fact tone of voice that Kurogane had a hard time thinking of any kind of argument.

"That doesn't make you their mother or me their father."

His smile widened. "We're the next best thing."

He realized they were getting off track. "So what does that have to do with you molesting me just now?"

He giggled. "That's another thing Mommies and Daddies do." He leaned forward and placed his lips next to the other man's ear. "Mommy and Daddy things," he whispered in a seductive voice he'd never heard from the blonde before.

"Eh?" he managed to rasp out.

"Just kidding!" he peeped suddenly. "April Fool's!"

In his shock and confusion Kurogane had released Fai, allowing him to jump off his lap and on to the floor. He pranced a few feet away from the couch as he grinned devilishly at the confused man.

It took one minute for Kurogane to realize that he didn't care what the magician had been up to and that his advances had been some kind of drawn out joke. It took one second for him to decide what he was going to do about it.

He, too, jumped up and ran at the blonde, who dashed away as quickly as his long legs could carry him. He screamed a string of curses at the lanky man that evaded him every time he reached out to grab him.

They somehow wound up on the second story. Just as he managed to corner the sneaky wizard a noise sounded behind him, "Kurogane-san? Fai-san?"

He turned to see the kid and his princess standing there, Sakura holding the manjuu, looking very lost and a little concerned.

"What are you guys doing?" asked Syaoran.

Fai grinned and waved for them to go back to bed. "Mommy and Daddy things."

That mage was dead.

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A/N: Tee hee, enjoy that? Hope so! Right now I'm half way done the Easter chapter. If you guys would seriously send me some other holidays I'd love that. I don't want to do only the ones I know. That would be no fun and very predictable. Anyway, review and all that good stuff! Sorry that it wasn't as long as the last chapter, but I'll work on making Easter longer. Wish me luck!

Ja ne!


	3. Easter

A/N: Let's get going right away! Holiday: Easter (with a mention to Good Friday)! I haven't gotten any other holidays so I'm just going to go off and do this thing. But really, I want to do a lot of chapters and I only have so many to work with. Send me ideas in your reviews! Please? –puppy eyes-

(Other relationships may pop up from time to time, as I see fit)

**Over a Year**

He had to say, this was a very… interesting world they'd landed in.

Just two days ago they'd found themselves smack in the middle of a parade known as the Good Friday Fest. Thankfully, they hadn't actually landed _in_ the parade. They had quickly set about trying to blend in, which was rather easy. Everyone was in costume so their clothes didn't stand out any more then anyone else. The kids pranced around to the different booths that lined the streets of the city they were in, looking at all of the crafts (seemingly unending assortments of intricately decorated crosses) and the tasty treats.

Fai kept a close eye on them and Mokona while he and Kurogane followed them around. According to their white friend there was a feather around here somewhere, but not close enough to track down. After that announcement it had promptly cheered that they enjoy the festival while it was around.

While the kids and Mokona had their fun Fai entertained himself with teasing Kurogane and pulling him all over the place.

Some of the booths had fun looking games that he wanted to play and watch. He found out quickly that most of the games could be played once free of charge. Now he just had to pick which one he wanted to do first. He cast the surly ninja beside him a quick look before setting off, said ninja in tow, to a booth just three away from the kids.

It had a back wall covered in balloons blown up to the size of Fai's fist. On the counter there sat a bucket filled with darts with dulled points. He guessed the point of the game was to take a dulled dart and pop one of the many balloons.

"Ooh! Kuro-rin! Let's play this one!" he chirped as they approached the man behind the counter. Kurogane looked the man up and down once before grunting. Unplayful grump…

The man explained the game to them and it was just as Fai had thought. You got three darts and could pop which ever balloon you wanted. If you popped one you got a small prize, two you got a medium, and all three you got a large. Fai beamed as Kurogane offered to go first, the need for a challenge shining in his red eyes.

He picked up three darts, took aim, and shot them in quick succession. He got two balloons to pop, but one of them got blown to the side and dodged the dart. Kurogane growled and muttered under his breath about the game being rigged, which it probably was.

Fai stepped up and grabbed his three. He picked out the three biggest, though there wasn't much difference between them all, and took aim. He let two fly at once, both hitting their marks. He aimed once again and smiled. This was a boring game…

_Pop!_

Two balloons at once. The blonde grinned over at the man behind the counter as he just stood there staring at the darts in the wooden board. It was a moment before he could speak again. When he could he thanked the pair for playing and handed over their prizes, two bags of candy.

The rest of the day was much the same. The group went around playing games and admiring the trinkets. They ate the candy with no help from the dark-haired man who had found a stand that didn't sell something sugarcoated and munched on popcorn. When the sun began to set they had met a nice couple that offered them two spare rooms in exchange for fixing a leaky roof and doing some chores while they were away on vacation.

It was now what was known as Sunday and Fai was skipping up the walkway leading to the house they were currently occupying. He held in his hands two baskets filled with treats and small toys for the kids while Kurogane stalked behind him carrying three more (two for them for the adults). He pushed open the swing door into the kitchen and began to arrange the baskets. He snatched the others from the taller man and placed them strategically on the counter.

It was still early morning, just little more than an hour past dawn. Kurogane had not been happy when Fai had woken him up just as the sun began to peer above the horizon. He had insisted they head out and gather the supplies of a somewhat proper Easter (a holiday in this world that had something to do with bunnies and colorful eggs) and come back to celebrate it with their whole family.

"We had a holiday just three worlds ago! Far as we could tell it's been a month and a half since," he complained as he watched the blonde position the treats in Mokona's basket.

He tossed the man a look that one might give a person who was being immature and stubborn about something silly. "We all work very hard, and it's difficult to find down time and fun. I take it where I can. You seem to be the only one with a problem."

He got a growl and the sound of the other stomping away to their rented room as a response. He giggled after the touchy man. When he was sure Kurogane was safely gone and there to stay he grabbed his basket and took out all of the candies and sweets the man had been complaining about. He then filled the empty space with snacks he had spotted the man eating and looking at the passed few days. He hoped that Kurogane really did like them.

He finished with the baskets and set about hiding brightly colored plastic eggs around the house for the kids to find. Each one had a coin in it, small amounts of this world's currency for later when they'd be running around the town.. He hummed as he worked, making sure the hiding spots weren't too hard or too easy. He remembered where he placed each one, just in case. When that was done he cleaned up a bit and put on a pair of white rabbit ears.

He scampered over to where the kids were sleeping and popped his head into Sakura's room. She lay there, sleeping peacefully, holding Mokona close. He could hear her light breathing as he crept closer, a smile blossoming onto his face the closer he got. He tapped her lightly on the shoulder and poked the white creature she was snuggling with.

They stirred immediately, blinking up at him with sleep still in their eyes. Sleep that vanished quickly as they saw the spectacle resting on Fai's head. "Fai-san? Why are you wearing rabbit ears?"

He put a finger to his lips. "Shh, happy Easter, Sakura-chan, Mokona. Let's go wake up Syaoran-kun before I explain."

The princess nodded and followed Fai down the hall and into the other bedroom (Fai and Kurogane had been sleeping in the living room so that the kids had had beds to sleep in). They slid the door open silently. All three snuck over to the bundle of blankets that marked where Syaoran lay. He was snoring softly and muttered a few nonsense words before falling silent again. They giggled silently before Fai started patting his head.

He sat with a gasp and look around before spotting the trio at his bedside. Must be a warrior thing to not respond well to being snuck up on. "Happy Easter, Syaoran-kun!"

He didn't say anything. Instead he blinked slowly and pointed wordlessly at the ears. He sat on the bed and began to explain what he'd learned about Easter. From what he'd come to understand it was a Holiday meant to celebrate the coming again of the people's savior. This Savior had apparently died on a cross to make up for the sins of all of mankind and help them get into heaven.

There was another, less known, story he'd heard while out with Kurogane. For some people called Pagans, this day was to thank the Goddess of fertility. It was a much better explanation for the eggs and rabbits and chicks that were such a popular theme. He told both stories to the children.

After that he explained how the holiday was celebrated. He told them they each had a present of sorts sitting in the kitchen. When they were done going through those they were going to have to find a bunch of eggs he'd hid. All three looked excited. For once they looked like kids, not young adults on a mission.

They were about to turn for the kitchen, but Fai stopped them. "First, we must wake up Kuro-mu!"

Syaoran and Sakura looked torn between getting him up to join in the fun and letting the man sleep. Mokona hopped from Sakura to Fai, shouting for them to hurry up and wake their loving Kuro-pipi.

"Shut up, manjuu!" Aw, he was already up.

"Good morning, Kurogane-san!" the children chorused. "Happy Easter."

He looked at them then at Fai. Then he grunted, ignoring the bunny ears. "I'm sure the idiot told you guys there are gifts for you all out in the other room, huh?"

Without another word they all made their way out. Mokona jumped off Fai's head and landed right in its basket. Sakura picked up the pink one with lace peeking out from spots and squealed thanks as she began to go through it with Mokona. Syaoran was handed his green one and thanked the magician several times before poking around in it, popping jelly beans into his mouth when he would come across new colors, eyes lighting up with surprise at the new flavors.

Fai grabbed the red basket he'd made for Kurogane and placed it in his hands. "All for you, Kuro-sama!" He turned and snatched up and small handful of jelly beans from his own blue basket and tossing them into his mouth. He cooed at the delightful, fruity flavors that met his taste buds. Oh, so tasty!

He spotted Kurogane opening a rice cake that had been in his basket and nibbling on it experimentally before taking a larger bite. The blonde smiled at him as he enjoying his sugary snacks. He watched as the taller man went back and grabbed some sort of chip thing and started eating that. He really did like them. Fai felt his heart swell.

They picked at their snacks for a while before Kurogane took them all away before anyone got sick. The kids didn't argue, but, as children do, they pouted as they watched their sweets be put up and out of their reach. Kurogane said he'd return them after a healthy dinner.

They agreed slowly along with Mokona. Fai finished his mouth full of jellybeans, for Fai had had his basket confiscated, too, before he remembered. "In the living room and hallway there are Easter eggs hidden all over! Hurry and find them before they go bad. If you do well, Mommy and Daddy will take you guys out to play in the park before we get working again!"

The trio headed into the other room, Mokona challenging Syaoran to race of who could find the most. The prize; a kiss on the cheek from Sakura. The princess agreed with lots of blushing and stuttering (and Mokona filling in her blank spot). They were off.

Fai and Kurogane leaned on the doorframe separating the kitchen and living room. The pair watched with amusement as the kids ran here and there, looking everywhere they could think to find the plastic eggs. Sakura turned out to be rather good at looking in all the right places. By the end of the game she had as much eggs as Syaoran and Mokona combined. And it turned out both of them had tied for second place.

"Yay! Kisses for both! Kisses for both!" cheered the white mascot. It bounced right on over to Sakura and gave her a kiss before hopping back to Syaoran and waiting on his head.

Needless to say, the whole process was rather entertaining and drawn out via embarrassment and shyness. When all was said and done the family headed out and towards the park they'd visited the day before.

They arrived to a strange sight. Children, ranging in ages six to sixteen, ran around a flagged-in area while groups of adult, no doubt parents of said children, lined up on the other side of the flags, crowing to keep an eye on the little ones. Intrigued the group went to check it out. Fai asked a lady sitting at a fold up table what was going on.

She replied by telling him there was an Easter egg hunt going on that would begin soon. Children under the age of sixteen were welcome to join in, free of charge. She explained that most eggs had small toys and play jewelry in them, but a few held very beautiful, very expensive items. This interested the magician. He inquired for more details while he saw the others wonder around, waiting for him.

In the background noise he was almost positive he heard Mokona god "Mekkyo!" and subsequently jump around franticly.

They woman at the desk gave him a printed list of rules, which she read out for him, and a tiny packet with pictures of all the prizes. Lo and behold, one was the feather they'd been looking for. He was so pleased that he dropped everything, interrupting the woman's speech, thanked her, and ran off towards the kids.

He showed them the picture of the feather and told them the rules. Sakura took Mokona with her as they both set off to enter the hunt. Fai called good luck to them as he waved beside Kurogane, who just grunted and kept an eye on them. Like the good Daddy he was.

It wasn't long before they lost sight of all three, however. They tried and tried to get closer to the inner ring of parents, but to no avail. All the adults were tightly packed together, keeping an eye on their young ones.

Figuring both of them knew how to take care of themselves in such a friendly environment the two grown-ups went and found a bench to occupy until they return. Fai spotted and made his way over to a black bench under a tall and leafy tree. He sat in the shade and slumped just so as to be comfortable. Not even three seconds later the ninja was seated next to him, eyes still on the crowd of people, not very far away, but enough so that they weren't hearing more than a low murmur from them all.

The blonde smiled up at the sky, thankful for the nice weather. He didn't really care about storms and the like, but the sun was always so warm and bright, he didn't want to miss out on being able to enjoy it in their rare moments of down time. He even felt the warrior loosen up a bit when he finally accepted there was no immediate danger they needed to be prepared for. Kurogane was always the last one to relax.

Even Fai, who should never do such a thing, calmed before he did. After so long traveling he had figured he would enjoy what he could while he could and not worry anymore than truly necessary until the time came for Ashura-ou to awaken and come for him. As long as he was asleep under the water Fai could actually enjoy himself to an extent. It was something he'd never really be able to do until he'd met their little, mismatched group. He was very thankful to them for giving him this last chance at real happiness, fleeting as it might turn out to be.

He pushed those thoughts quickly from his mind. Right now he was feeling a little sleepy and plenty playful. He stretched out, his arms to the sky and legs out front, and yawned like some giant cat. He then snuggled into Kurogane's nearby shoulder. This effectively annoyed the swordsman. He growled and swatter the lithe man. Fai's head shot back up, only to fall to a new resting place, the other's lap. It was very welcoming. And very dangerous, seeing as how the owner of the lap was about ready to kill him for laying on it.

"You've got until three, Mage," he hissed in a threatening voice.

He was so scared, hee. "Until what, Kuro-puu?"

"Until I kill you, you dumbass!"

"Oh my, that was rather loud, don't you think, Kuro-pin? Be careful or someone might think you were yelling at me." He saw the taller man's right eye twitch a few times while he spoke. What fun this man could be.

"I am yelling at you, damn it! Get off of my lap!" If Fai didn't know better he'd say that Kurogane was mad at him now. Good thing he knew better!

He giggled a bit, and it wasn't even forced. "Now now, don't make a scene. Be a good puppy and don't shout. It rude you know."

At that he stood up, flipping Fai onto his stomach and into some dirt. "How's that for rude, damned mage?"

He didn't bother to get off the ground. He simply rolled over and smiled up at the dark-haired man above him. "Very good! Now fetch!"

He did get up this time. Didn't wait for a response either. Mainly because anyone he would have gotten would have involved bodily harm to the skinnier of the two. Truth be told, he wasn't a huge fan of pain. So, he got to his feet and fled. Calling back teases all around the park as the other followed, cursing him all the way.

Within one hour Fai had learned a few interesting facts about his surly traveling companion. He didn't tire easily, he had a colorful vocabulary that shouldn't be displayed in a public place full of children, and he was very good at climbing trees. If he had to guess he would say that the ninja had done so since childhood.

When Kurogane dragged Fai back to where they'd left the children they found Sakura and Syaoran waiting on the bench the two of them had found earlier. Sakura was holding a golden egg the seemed to almost glow in the afternoon light.

"You found it!" he exclaimed as they drew near.

Mokona piped up, "Yes yes! All by herself! Sakura is soooo good at this game!"

Laughing and smiling, save one still-peeved Big Puppy, they headed back to their temporary home to give Sakura back her feather and move on to the next world. What an interesting world this had turned out to be indeed.

------------------

A/N: mother's Day is next. And it's tomorrow, so I won't have it up. Thanks to all my lovely reviewers. And a happy Mother's Day to all Anime mamas out there! (And the other one's, too.)


	4. Mother's Day

A/N: Happy Belated Mother's Day! Hope everyone had a nice time since my last update. I'm gonna make this author's note quick and head right into the story. I figured out where the first kiss is going to be. No, I'm not going to tell you guys. –evil laugh of doom- But I will say it's not in this chapter like I thought it would be. Oh well. Enjoy the story guys!

(Other relationships may pop up from time to time, as I see fit)

**Over a Year**

The mage wasn't the only one capable of being sneaky and conniving. Oh no, far from it. Kurogane had a sneaky streak in him that would make even the most underhanded of people proud. The passed few days he'd been proving just how well he could maneuver behind people's backs.

They'd been in this particular world for three days, and had a pretty good idea where the feather was. It was simply a matter of waiting for it. The damn thing was being shipped from another country for a birthday present for some rich little girl, who turned out to take quite a liking to Sakura. She'd promised to hand over the feather if Sakura stayed with her until it arrived and play with her while they were there. The princess had eagerly agreed and managed to give the others rooms, albeit shared rooms. Kurogane and Fai in one while they had given the second to Syaoran, who would always take the short end of the stick of his own volition.

He had tried to protest, but had no argument to back himself. He accepted the room with a simple, "Are you sure?"

Seeing as they really had nothing to do, they went sight seeing in the large city and surrounding caravans and villages. The little girl, Sara, was more than happy to be their tour guide. She and Sakura would always be out front, holding hands, while Syaoran followed close behind and the adults kept an eye on the group of them from the rear. Mokona bounced around joyfully onto the head or shoulder of whoever was closest to its current fixation.

While they had been out Kurogane had learned that there was a holiday coming up that celebrated mothers. He thought about it for a while before deciding to celebrate it for the group's self-proclaimed "Mommy".

Far as he was concerned the mage deserved it. He was always making sure the kids were as happy as they could be and he kept finding fun things to distract them from the fact that they were on a mission, not just traveling around with friends. He even managed to keep Kurogane in a non-homicidal mood a majority of the time, not that he'd tell anyone this; it was hard enough to admit to himself.

So, for the passed two days, he'd been gathering information and supplies. Today was the day he was going to let the kids in on the surprise. The day, called Mother's Day here, was fast approaching and he would need help. He had most of the supplies; wrapping paper, decorations, and a bouquet of flowers ready to be picked up the day of. All he had to do was get the mage distracted long enough for him to sneak out on his own and find a good gift. This was where the kids would come in.

One night, as the wizard was in the kitchen cooking dinner for everyone as requested by Sara after Sakura had bragged about his abilities, he called them all into the living room. He told them his plan and gave them their mission, to be carried out tomorrow.

The princess beamed at him and clapped hurriedly and she hopped up and down in joy. The kid smiled and nodded to the ninja. Mokona shot itself all around the room screaming its head off. Thankfully, he managed to catch the damn thing and shut it up. "Do you want to ruin it with your loud ass mouth?" he growled to the white creature in his hand. In response it clamped his hands over its mouth, still giggling, and shook its head. "Good." He tossed it to one of the kids and made sure they all understood what was going to happen tomorrow.

**-The Next Morning-**

He woke up before the blonde that slept beside him in the king sized bed and slipped out of the room after dressing quickly. He grabbed the wallet that he'd been lent, filled with money he'd been given, and snuck out of the house as the day brightened with the rising sun. The kids were going to demand, or get as close to it as their polite dispositions would let them, they go and watch the newly arrived carnival set up. Sara would promise it would be an interesting and entertaining sight to see. This would result in Fai being away from the shops all day, or at least a good chunk of it while he shopped.

He opened the wallet and found three pieces of paper in with the money. On each piece there was something written in sloppy kana, the kid's doing no doubt. A stuffed cat, biggest box of chocolate available, blue roses. It must have been what the kids wanted to get for him. Memorizing the list, he put everything away and headed for the toy store they'd passed by several times while walking along the streets. Both the mage and princess had stopped to exclaim about the adorable stuffed animals and dolls in the display. If he recalled correctly there had been one cat doll in particular that had caught their eyes.

He stood in front of the window, trying to remember what they had said about it, other than cute and fluffy. It had defiantly been a cat; the magician had brought up those stupid names when he'd seen it. He'd been talking about how it reminded him of himself and Sakura.

That was when he saw it. A big cat, all yellow and bright with blue eyes, was curled up next to a smaller chestnut brown kitten that had its eyes closed. They were snuggling and had their tails wrapped around each other affectionately. He had to say, they had been right; he couldn't help but think of those two when he saw this.

He took a deep breath and swallowed his pride as he walked into the toy store. If anyone asked he was here to pick up a kid's Mother's Day gift, which was totally true. It was just embarrassing.

A bell rang as he entered and the girl at the counter smiled at him brightly. He could have sworn he'd seen her before. He went right up to her and, in the most pleasant of voices he could manage, asked to buy the kitty pair that was in the window. She nodded and widened her smile as she ran to fetch it. She rung it up and he handed over the money. As she was putting it in the pink and white gift bag she asked him what he'd wished she wouldn't.

"Is this for Mother's Day?" her voice was light and airy like a child's, though she was clearly a teenager at least.

He felt his face heat up. "Well, yeah, sort of. I'm picking it up for someone, er-" the girl didn't seem to believe it wasn't his idea of a gift. "I'm buying it for my kid. She really wanted to give this one."

She handed him the bag with an understanding smile, and waved him off. It wasn't until he was halfway to the candy shop that he realized what he'd called the princess. _My kid._ He felt like slapping himself. They were not his or even the mage's kids, not matter what they acted like on their travels. But, he supposed, the statement would do for the day, it was the closest thing to the truth that didn't involve a great explanation.

So, the father of two scanned the stores for a bright sign that proclaimed sugar and sweets for all. And he found it after a half hour. It was much farther from the toy store than he remembered.

He walked in quickly, found the section chocolate dwelled in, grabbed the biggest box he saw and headed right for the counter where there stood this world's Shougo. He wrapped the box in foil green paper and topped it with a gold bow. Kurogane paid and thanked him before getting the hell out of there. He swore the air in that place was saturated with sugar. It was horrific. He felt the need to go home and brush his teeth.

Thankfully, the flower shop was just across the street. He entered and greeted the old lady that ran it. She smiled warmly and greeted him by name, even though he'd been in there only twice. He searched around, looking for blue roses, which were a very good gift idea. They would also go with the lilies and tulips he'd bought from the keep after she'd suggested them. When he failed to find them he asked.

The woman smiled and went into the back room, returning after a few minutes with four ice blue roses tied together with a silver ribbon. A red card hung from them for the giver to sign. He paid for them and told the owner he'd be by tomorrow morning, very early, to pick up the bouquet.

He left and brought everything back to the house. He hid the presents in the kid's closet; not feeling comfortable enough to put something in the princess's and knowing the mage didn't usually snoop around in other's property. He was about to relax and wait for everyone to get home when he realized that he hadn't picked up a gift for the blonde from himself. It wasn't like he really had to, it was his idea to do all of this and he was the one who was setting up everything, but it felt wrong to not get him something like everyone else.

So, he headed out again, in search of something he could give the magician. The problem was, he had no idea what to buy. The kids had already gotten him a toy, candy, and flowers. What else was there to get him?

He made his way over to the shopping area and looked in windows along the streets. Nothing he saw caught his eye. Everything he saw was useless and uninteresting, even for the mage. After almost an hour he was getting frustrated. It could not possibly be that difficult to find a present for that flamboyant man. Wait…

That was it! He needed to stop thinking of Fai as a man and more like a woman- no, a mother. He followed the crowd towards the densest parts and looked in on the windows there. He saw dresses, fancy and suggestive, in the first few. He was not getting Fai a dress for _so_ many reasons.

The next one had very skimpy bed clothing. He didn't look longer than it took to identify what was on the other side of the glass before moving on.

After a few shops of randomly assorted bobbles his eyes caught on a shimmer of blue. He walked over to the display window and saw what it was. The sun had caught on the sapphires of a pendant that hung from a silver chain. The jewels were cut and placed into a pattern that resembled a great bird with flowing feathers. It was perfect. He headed in.

The place was surprisingly empty for a shop with such fancy and beautiful jewelry. Though, looking around at the sparse wares, it might not have been hard to imagine why that was.

He walked up to the stuffy looking man behind the counter and told him he wanted the necklace. The man looked him up and down before snuffing and walking over to remove it from the case. Kurogane watched him the whole time.

When he was back behind the counter he set the necklace down and typed some stuff into some machine and a paper came out. Without looking at the ninja he said, in a voice stiff and uncaring, "This is a rather unimpressive piece. Are you sure I can't interest you in something more high-class, sir?"

What Kurogane heard was. 'This is one of the cheapest things we sell. Can I talk you into spending more money on something else?' He rolled his eyes, merchants were merchants, not matter what world you were in. "No. This is perfect. How much?"

It turned out it wasn't cheap at all, in general. He'd spent the rest of his cash, along with the change he's had left over from the kids' money, but he managed it with nothing but pocket change left over. He made his way back to the house as quickly as he could manage with the tiny black box tied with a red ribbon in his hand.

He had just finished hiding the present when he heard the door open and the sound of happy chatter filtered up passed the stairs. He double-checked and headed down to meet them.

"Hello, Kurogane-san!" Sakura called when she spotted him turning the corner into the den.

He nodded in response. "No one got in trouble?"

Sara huffed at him and put her hands on her hips. "Of course not!" Then she spotted the others looking elsewhere. "Okay, Mokona and Fai caused a little bit of a scene, but we handled it!"

The dark-haired man felt himself twitch. "What did you do mage?"

The blonde smiled coyly. "Oh, nothing much, Kuro-pii. Mokona wanted to see something and we just kind of-"

"They got chased around by a tiger," Syaoran finished. He knew that Fai would only wind up angering Kurogane, and the party was tomorrow. They needed to remain calm and on good terms.

"You what?" Then again, Syaoran really should have lied.

"It looked like such a sweet big kitty! And there were other people around it, we thought it was okay," he said with a light voice, not even the least bit sorry. He smiled, Mokona on his shoulder, mimicking him as he spoke. The pair back up a step as Kurogane rounded on them fully.

"Do you have _any_ common sense at all? I am constantly being amazed by how retarded you can be!"

The scariest part of the whole scene was the fact that the ninja was not yelling like he normally would. He was very quiet as he seethed at the trouble making duo. He closed in on them as they backed themselves into a corner.

Fai's smile waivered into something akin to worry while the manjuu hid behind his head. "Now, Kuro-chu, no one got hurt, not even the town's people. The tiger was on a chain leash."

"That doesn't matter! You could have gotten hurt! The kids could have been eaten! Do you think before you do something?" Now he was shouting.

"I don't think Tora-san was going to eat anyone…" he muttered. Kurogane was calming down by now. "Sorry."

That was it. He just couldn't be mad anymore if he tried. When Fai had apologized he felt all the heat in him disappear and be instantly replaced with the coolness of calm. And he couldn't even get annoyed by that. He did, however, wonder why the hell it was happening.

"Just think next time you want to do something stupid like that," he huffed before backing up to let them out of their corner.

When the adults had calmed down and everyone was sure no blood would be spilt they all made their way into the kitchen so Fai and Sakura could make lunch for the group. While the lot of them joked and reminisced about the mornings events Kurogane pondered the sudden calming effect the wizard's apology had had on him.

It was possible the man had used a spell on him, but impossible at the same time. The idiot wouldn't use the smallest bit of magic to save his life, why would he use it just to calm the ninja down when there was no harm to come to him? There was no reason, not even for the sake of messing with the taller man. So it couldn't have been a spell.

If not a spell, then what? What made him calm down when he'd said sorry? He couldn't think of any reason for such a reaction. Not a one… and it was pissing him off.

He was snatch from his musing when a toasted sandwich was placed in front with a clunk. He shot a glare at the person who had done such a thing as to interrupt his privet thinking time. He instantly wanted to take it back when he saw it was Sakura on the receiving end. He took the sandwich and thanked her, adding in an undertone of apology to it.

He picked up his food and took a large chunk of it in his mouth. He chewed and ate quickly. He wanted to get away and think about all this.

Unfortunately, fate, or whatever was running the show, hated him and refused to allow his the solitude he desired. First, Sara had commented on Syaoran and Kurogane being sword users and had demanded a demonstration. While giving the show he'd noticed Syaoran slacking in his work and had promptly insisted on a round of training, to be repeated everyday while in this world. After that he'd, for some reason, been elected to go food shopping with Fai for dinner that night. The whole process had been long and drawn out and had taken much longer that it should have under any circumstances. When they had returned he was asked to help out in the kitchen under the pretense that Fai had no idea how to prepare fish for the fact that he disliked it. Afterwards he was made to keep the blonde company in the kitchen while he prepared his own meal after everyone had polished off Kurogane's cooking.

By the time everyone had settled it was time for bed because tomorrow was the big day. The dark-haired man crawled into bed and fell asleep quickly, wanting to be able to wake up before the magician and set up everything.

-_-_-_-_-

Fai woke later than normal when the sun shone in his face, effectively ending his dream. He was irate about that for a minute. He'd been having a wonderful dream.

Sakura had realized that Syaoran was her most important person and the two of them were off on a very romantic date. Then he'd been left with Big Puppy for the whole day. At first everything was normal in the dream, but then something had happened because all of a sudden they weren't at the little house he'd imagined in a meadow. Kurogane and he were sitting on a river bank. Fai had been leaning on something warm and strong, feeling amazingly content and at ease. He noticed the thing was moving and knew that it was the ninja's chest he was resting on.

Normally, he would have jumped up and laughed it off, but he stayed and snuggled closer without the slightest bit of hesitation or worry. He felt like he belonged there. Kurogane had wrapped an arm around his shoulder and held him while they waited for something that Fai was very excited to see. When he had been about to ask when it was coming the tall reed grass spewed out hundreds of shining little lights that flew around and twinkled like stars. He'd gasped and grabbed the taller man's hand in awe. He had wanted to hop up and chase after the mini stars, but the other had held him back, whispering in his ear to just watch and enjoy.

That whisper had sent chills down Fai's spine, and he wanted to feel them again, whether in a waking moment or a dream. In the dream his blue eyes had glanced up and met with ruby-colored ones. Their gazes had held each other for what seemed like years. Then, slowly, they had begun to move closer to each other. In the dream he had known what was about to happen, he'd wanted it for what felt like forever. But, now that he was awake, he had no idea what was about to happen. Truth be told, it was all sort of blurry. But he was filled with such a sense of happiness and contentment that he just wanted to go back to sleep, however impossible it was now.

Telling himself that the dream would return that night he stretched and let out a yawn. He had noticed that his puppy was nowhere to be seen, another testament as to how late he had slept in. He got out of bed, dressed, and opened his door. The first thing that happened was he smelled a wonderfully sweet odor coming from downstairs. He made his way towards it and soon heard hurried and hushed speech that he couldn't make out. When he got closer everything fell silent. He crept closer and rounded the corner. He didn't have enough time to take in the scene in front of him before his ears were barraged with shouts of "Happy Mother's Day!"

He froze, a bit more that a little shocked. "Eh?"

Sakura and Syaoran tossed some confetti as Sara and Mokona danced around with balloons. Kurogane just leaned on the counter, looking very pleased with something. Next to him was a small pile of gifts all wrapped up and waiting to be opened. Beside them was a spread of sweet breakfast treats and a steaming pot of what seemed to be tea. He looked around at the happy faces of his friends. "What is all of this?"

"This world has a holiday called Mother's Day where a family celebrates the mom. They said you were like the mom of the group so Kurogane planned all of this and we help!" explained Sara.

Fai blinked. Something she'd just said didn't add up. "Kuro-wan-wan planned all of this? For me?"

Kurogane turned his face away and mumbled. "Well, you're the one always calling yourself mommy and taking care of the kids and cooking and all that junk. I figured you deserved this…"

He felt himself getting choked up. "Oh, Kuro-daddy!" He flung himself over the counter and hugged the life out of the other man. He didn't know what to say. He just hugged him for all he was worth. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah… just get off me and open your presents." He hadn't made a single move to make Fai let go, but the mention of gifts distracted him. He let go and poked at the gifts. "Well," Kurogane said, watching him, "open one."

Fai snatched up the pink and white bag that was closest. He dug in and pulled out that adorable stuffed kitty pair he and Sakura had been looking at the other day. He giggled in delight, already knowing it was her that had thought of it. But when had she gotten it?

He set the kitties down and picked up a cone shaped object wrapped in shimmering silver foil that sat next to a crystal vase filled with lilies and tulips. He removed the foil and was greeted by the loveliest roses he'd ever seen. They were a wonderful shade of blue that just seemed to glow. Mokona squealed when his eyes lit up. So this was the mascot's gift. How had it made any purchase?

Next he snatched up a box, fairly large and wrapped in green with a golden bow. He tore it open and peeked in the box. It was filled with all sorts of different chocolates. He grabbed one and popped it in his mouth. It was delicious! Syaoran was so thoughtful. But he'd been with Fai the past few days and couldn't possibly have picked this up…

He took the last box, a tiny black on tied shut with a red ribbon. He undid the tie and eased the box open. A shimmer of blue flashed before Fai gasped in shock. Inside laid the most beautiful necklace he'd ever seen. A bird spread its wings as the pendant, sapphires set in the shining silver metal to give the bird the illusion of a quivering motion. The chain was linked in a breath-taking Celtic-like pattern. He slowly removed it from the box, everyone else in the room gasping as they caught sight of it, all but its buyer, Kurogane. He sat silent and still as Fai looked over his gift. The blonde felt tears sting his eyes at the sight of such a present.

It was all him. He had done everything, even gone out and picked up all the presents. He'd planned and plotted all of this just for him. Fai's heart warmed and all but burst from his chest with the joy he felt. No one had ever done such a thoughtful thing for him.

"Oh," he sighed, still holding up the jewelry so it caught the light and sparkled. "Kuro-chii, this is beautiful! I love it!" He turned his eyes away from the necklace and met with the swordsman's. He felt himself beam at the taller man and spotted the small, somewhat lopsided grin he received in return. One that set his skin ablaze with a heat he'd never felt before.

He began to try and put it on. He had it unclasped but he couldn't redo it behind his head. Suddenly, he felt large, warm hands over his. "No, idiot," came his gruff voice. "Let go and let me do it, Mage." He did as he was told. Within two second the hands were gone and Fai wished they'd go back. The slight weight of the necklace was in him and he loved it. He smiled down at it and then fell into a fit of giggles.

"Thank you! Thank you all so much! You're all so wonderful; I love all the gifts and all of you!" Usually, he was more articulate than that, but he was just so overwhelmed he could hardly speak at all.

"Happy Mother's Day!" the three kids chorused along with Mokona.

"Happy Mother's Day," Kurogane mumbled under his breath a second later when the others were busy getting the last bit of breakfast ready. Fai turned and smiled at him.

He walked up to him, lean into the taller man, stood on tiptoe and said, "Thank you so much Daddy." Just to make sure the message hit home he left the dark-haired man a peck on the cheek before spinning around and joining the younger members of the family for food.

Kurogane didn't move for a few seconds. He just stood there, shocked and speechless. He'd gotten the message loud and clear. And he felt his face heat up with the realization of, _'He likes me…'_

**TBC…**

A/N: No, that did not count as a first kiss. I told you it wasn't this chapter, though it was originally supposed to be. I felt bad putting it off so I gave you guys this. I hope it was at least enough to hold you back for a little while. So, what'd you think? Love it? Hate it? Let me know! I really wish I had more reviews! –hint hint- So, yeah… you guys do that and I'll see you next chapter, Father's Day. Payback time for Kuro-chan!

Ja ne!


	5. Father's Day :M Rated:

A/N: Well, Father's Day has come and gone, but here comes me! I'm kind of sad I didn't get many reviews last chapter… I wonder why that is. –sniffles- Well, fine. Don't love me. I'm still going to update this…

**Over a Year**

Fai fiddled with the small pendent that lay across his chest under his shirt. He hadn't taken off the necklace Kurogane had given him almost a month ago unless it was to bathe. It was just so beautiful. That, and it was from the ninja himself. As much as he had tried to deny it, to the world and himself, he couldn't do it any longer. Fai knew full well what it was that he felt for his traveling companion.

It wasn't lust, like he'd been hoping. Lust could be overcome and controlled. It was something shallow and superficial. It was what he felt the first time he'd met the man. When he'd gotten a good look at him in the apartment in Hashin he'd seen the tan skin and toned body, those red eyes, the way he moved. Oh, he had no doubt in his mind from then on that Kurogane would be great in bed. He could tell these things. And, for a good, long while it was only lust and amusement that he felt for the taller man.

But, it soon turned to friendship that neither of them could deny. And now, because Fai had been so very sure it'd stop there, he was in love with him. Fai was head over heels in love with Kurogane. The Mother's Day surprise had only served to push his feeling farther into his own view. So far he couldn't help but notice them.

Well, if he was going to be in love with his closest friend, his only friend, he might as well make it known to the other party. Coward and liar that he was he did not play with others hearts. And, if last month's activities were anything to go by Kurogane might just be feeling a bit more than friendly towards the magician himself.

So, it was payback time. Because, much to his joy and surprise, there was another day just like Mother's Day, but for dads. And Daddy was in for a big treat!

He would have told the children of his plan, since they helped out with his party. But he was sure the ninja had gotten wind of the holiday and was keeping an eye on everyone. It was very obvious he did not want any gifts or surprises. Of course, Fai wouldn't be discouraged and he told the kids to just do something small and sweet for their daddy.

That little thing, as it turned out, was giving the man a nice, quiet, relaxing day alone. They all had tickets to a park and would be spending the whole day there. They'd invited Fai, but he'd said he had something he wanted to do. And it couldn't have been more true. Because, tomorrow was the big day, and he was ready.

Dinner had been served and eaten and he and Sakura were making lunches for the next day. Mokona sat on the counter and watched or helped as it saw fit. They were all singing a song they'd learned during their time in that world. "Round and round the mulberry bush," crooned Mokona.

"The monkey chased the weasel!" Sakura responded. It was a cute song, but very repetitive.

Fai hummed along with them as he finished steaming rice. He was trying out a new recipe that he'd heard of from Kurogane. It was called onigiri and it sounded simple enough. Just a ball of rice with some kind of filling, though, the fillings Kurogane has listed sounded a little less than appetizing. So, he would make two batches, one for the ninja and another for everyone else that didn't like bean paste and pickled plums.

He picked out a portion of the rice for himself to make and handed the rest to the princess for he to get started on everyone else's. He explained how to do them just as the other man had explained to him, pat and shape around the filling. She started and he began on the small batch that would go to Kurogane tomorrow. It was a bit tricky, but eventually they both got the hang of it.

When they finished it was with a sense of accomplishment. Both of them were rather proud of their creations and decided to give everyone a sneak peek. They made a set of, Kurogane called them onigiri? The ones in the sample set were shaped into all sorts of things; stars, hearts, faces. Fai made one shaped like a dog, grinning ear to ear as he did. He knew what would happen when he gave it to his big puppy. Said puppy would get up, yelling at him for teasing, and probably chase him around for a while.

He wasn't complaining, no, far from it. He loved when Kurogane chased him around and yelled. Because, he knew the other man didn't mean it. Yeah, he annoyed him, but he hadn't really been angry about it for a very long time. Now it was a game for both of them. They both knew it.

The trio made their way out of the kitchen and into the living room with their treat. "All done!" Fai called. "Who want to try one?" He held out the plate and let the kids grab whichever one they wanted. He picked up the dog one and handed it to Kurogane. "I made this one especially for my big puppy! Look, it's just like you!"

Kurogane growled at him, eye twitching in the way it did when the game started. "I'm not a damn dog!"

Fai gave him an innocently confused looking smile. "But, you _are _Kuro-woof. A Big Doggy!"

And with that he tossed Kurogane the rice ball and ran for it. The man behind him caught it and chased. They ran around for the better half of an hour before Fai was finally cornered. At that point, however, the rice ball had mysteriously disappeared, though the blonde figured it would be in better interest for his health not to say anything at the moment.

Instead, he smiled his brightest and slipping out of the corner before latching onto Kurogane's back. "Wah! Please don't hurt me!" he cried. He couldn't help but half giggle the whole time he spoke. "Big Kitty will play nice now!"

He felt a hand grab his shoulder and yank him off of the strong back he'd been so gleefully clinging to. "Go play nice over there!" he hissed before turning Fai around and giving him a nudge towards the group of kids.

Fai gave him a quick pout before flopping onto the couch and sprawling out across it, leaving no room for the ninja. He smiled up at the taller man as he realized just what the blonde had done. He, instead of the usual complaint or threat, walked right up to him, glared at him for a few seconds, testing if he would move, and sat on top of his legs. He wiggled a around a little until he was comfortable. He leaned back and glanced at the magician.

Fai just stared blankly at him. What was the man playing at? He was sitting on Fai's lap. His _lap_! Kurogane was actually _sitting_ on _his lap_! If he had had less self control he might have lost it then and there.

Kurogane's weight and warmth was wonderful. He could feel the larger mans muscles, relaxed as he was perched upon him. He could sense the heat coming from the other's skin. It was so inviting to just sit up and latch back on to him. In fact, he might have if they had been alone. Faintly, he wondered if he could coax Kurogane back into this position tomorrow.

Or maybe even the other way around.

But, if he thought about all of that now he didn't think he would have enough self control to keep it to himself for very long. He busied himself with making fun of the current situation. "Aww, Kuro-wanwan wants to snuggle with me!"

He heard him snort in response, but he did not move. He, instead, pressed closer. Fai knew, just then, what he was doing. He was teasing Fai.

The kids, glad for the lack of play fighting, went back to talking amongst themselves and daydreaming about the next day. When he was sure they weren't paying the two adults any mind the wizard leaned up and placed his lips next to Kurogane's ear. "What are you doing, Kuro-pii?"

He heard the smirk on the other's face rather than saw it. "What do you think I'm doing, mage?"

Fai's face all but lit on fire when he said that. He squirmed out from under the larger man, who had stood up for him, and bid all of them a good night before disappearing upstairs. He reached the top of the flight and practically ran to his and Kurogane's room. He closed the door and fell, face first, onto the bed.

He groaned aloud as he replayed the events down stairs. Physically, he knew damn well what that sneaky ninja was doing. He was testing him, trying to figure out exactly what Fai had meant by that kiss last month. The magician had figured it would eat at him for awhile. Of course, he'd also thought that the dark-haired man would eventually come and ask him about it, not play at his own game.

And he had never dreamed that the other would be so good at playing at his game either.

Images and feelings of Kurogane's body came rushing back into his mind suddenly, flooding his senses. Before he knew what was happening his body reacted. He hopped up, a bit shocked at the quick response. Admitting defeat at his own hands he grabbed a towel and headed for the shower.

He twisted the knobs so that the water came out heated and steamy. He stripped his clothes and folded them atop the toilet. One hand peeked into the water to check its temperature. He pulled it back, pleased, and got in. For a few minutes he simply let the water flow over him, trying to pull his thoughts away from the ninja. When that failed he heaved a sigh. Usually, he was very good at controlling such feelings within himself. What would happen if he indulged those desires just once every few months… years?

His hand started moving before his mind was completely made up. It slithered down his body and straight to his problem. Thin fingers wrapped around himself and moved, back and forth. He squeezed every few pumps as he moved faster. His eyes were shut tight as his mind replayed the warmth and feel of the other man. Flashes of him shirtless swam in his memory, red eyes gazed at him, strong arms wrapped around him as callused hands replaced his own.

He leaned against the cool tiles of the wall, their contrast to the warm air and water around him surprisingly pleasurable. His hand moved faster and faster as he tried not to make any noise whatsoever. Finally, he came with a muffled gasp as he bit his lower lip to stifle the small sound. He slumped against the wall further as he allowed the water to wash away any evidence of his actions.

He finished up slowly, washing his hair with the nice smelling soap Syaoran had informed him was usually used by girls. He'd told him he used it because it smelled nice. The boy had muttered a confused okay before going back to whatever he'd been doing before.

Fai turned off the water and gathered his things before heading back into the room to dress in his night clothes. He tossed the pile in a corner and hung up the damp towel. He felt better after his shower. He smiled and stretched before jumping into bed, snuggling under the sheets and hugging his pillow tight. It might still have been early, but he had to get up way before anyone else if he wanted to pull this off.

He willed himself to sleep, intent on waking up with the sun the next day. And he did.

Dim sunlight filtered in through the open curtains and shined right into his face. His eyes fluttered open and he held back a yawn. As stealthily as he could he slid out of bed and crawled across the floor to his clothes, putting them on in completely silence.

He snuck downstairs and out the door. He'd bide his time until the kids left. Besides, he had some things to pick up anyway.

-_-_-_-

Kurogane awoke to silence, a rare occurrence these days. He blinked in the bright light of the morning sun a few times before his eyes adjusted. When they did he found himself alone in bed. When they had said he'd have the day to himself they hadn't been kidding. Even the mage had gotten lost.

He stretched and got out of bed and dressed. He ran his finger through his short hair a few times on his way downstairs for some food. On the kitchen counter he found a note written in the kid's sloppy kana.

_Kurogane-san, _

_Happy Father's Day from all of us! We hope you enjoy your day. We'll be back after dinner time, so don't worry about us. Fai-san's not with us, so we don't know where he went or when he'll be back. He was gone before we were up. If something happens we are at the park. _

Name's were scrawled across the bottom with little paw prints and hearts he was sure was the work of the manju.

So they had no idea where the mage was. He didn't know if that was exactly a good thing or not. While the idiot could very well take care of himself and this was not a dangerous world he couldn't help but wonder what he was doing leaving the house before anyone else had woken up.

He figured it was better not to ask and shrugged it off. If he didn't show up when the kids did he'd go out and find him. Until then, he'd just have to believe the idiot wasn't in any danger.

For the next hour he enjoyed the silence of the house while he sharpened his sword, something he'd been unable to get around to, went through some basic forms to keep himself in shape, and had some breakfast consisting of toast and butter. He was going to head into the backyard for more strenuous exercise when he felt someone else in the house.

He stopped in his tracks and focused, the person was moving slowly, stopping at each room for a moment. They didn't seem threatening, but the grip he had on his sword still tightened. He tried to figure out who it was while he moved slowly towards them. They had a familiar feel, something reassuring that had his grip relaxing without his noticing. When they were only a room apart it came to him.

Fai was back. What the magician was doing back was beyond him. He was positive it had been his idea to pay him back for the surprise last month. Not that he minded if the other man was around. He still had some stuff to figure out and having them alone together made it a bit easier.

"Oi, mage," he called. "What are you up to?"

He didn't get an answer, just a near silent shuffling. He sighed. If that man was trying to play a game with him he was going to wring his skinny neck. He rounded the corner out of the hallway and looked around. Nothing seemed out of place. But, then again, he didn't really expect it to. The wizard was smarter than that.

He paused for a moment. He looked around; sure the other was in this room. He took cautious steps into the room, eyes scanning everything for any movement. When he was sure the magician wasn't in the living room he turned back to the hallway and opened the first door. Before he even took in the inside of the room he was pounced on from behind. He felt arms wrap themselves around his shoulders and legs clamp onto his waist. Hair tickled the back of his neck and a familiar laugh sounded next to his ear.

He was more annoyed by the fact that the mage had snuck up on him than he was with the actions he carried out. "Get the hell off me!"

Fai snuggled closer to him, giggling. "Nope! I have to give you your Father's Day present!"

"How about you give me peace!" he growled, already calming down.

He walked them to the couch and sat down, making sure to lean heavily on the man behind him. It had the desired effect when Fai let go and squirmed out from behind him. When he was free he sat down next to him and cuddled with his arm.

The ninja did nothing to fight back, not really minding as much as he should have. It was something about this man that disarmed him in ways no one else could ever hope to, not even Tomoyo. It was a very strange feeling, as if he had the ability to completely tear down everything that made Kurogane himself. He didn't like it. In fact, when they'd first met and he realized the blonde's effect on him he'd hated it, hated the man that caused it. But now that he'd gotten to know him and get used to it he no longer had a burning hate of the pair, just a dull dislike towards the feeling.

He wasn't sure just yet how he felt about the one causing it. He didn't hate him any longer. There wasn't much dislike. If he used clues about the way he acted towards him he'd have to say they were friends. Very good friends at that. But, Fai wanted more than simple friendship. And that Kurogane wasn't put off by that right away made him think that there might be the possibility of such a relationship developing.

Either way he needed more information on how the blonde felt about him… about them. "So, what are you getting me?"

Blue eyes lit up and he moved forward, arms going around his neck instead of his arm. "You want a present after all? Yippie!" Then, he paused. "But, I didn't get Kuro-pon anything."

He smirked. Perfect. "That's fine. I know what I want you to give me."

At first he was expectant, waiting to see what the ninja would think up. But his eyes suddenly clued in as he figured out what he must mean. Kurogane had a habit of trying to find out everything about the blonde any chance he got. This was a perfect opportunity.

"Answer one question. Truthfully."

Fai sighed. He had seen it coming too late. He let go of Kurogane and sat back, looking at the wall ahead. "Okay, but just one, Kuro-pii."

Kurogane thought for a moment. He really could use this as a chance to learn some things about the other, fill in some blanks. But, there was just one thing pressing to be on the top of his priority list and, after a minute, it won out. "How do you feel about me?"

Fai paled. His eyes slid from the wall to the floor at his feet. His hands went up and toyed, yet again, with the necklace he'd gotten the slight man. "Um, could you ask something else, please?"

He didn't want to make the mage too uncomfortable, but he just had to know. If he heard the other say it maybe it would help him figure things out in his own head. "No, just answer. It doesn't matter. I won't hate you for anything you say to me. And I won't bring it up again if you don't want me to." The words sounded foreign coming from him.

He felt Fai take a deep breath. "Promise?"

"Yeah," he said quietly, "I promise."

Another deep breath. A pause. He closed his eyes tightly, held onto the pendent for dear life and said, "I'vereallylikedyouforalongtime! Likeforaslongaswe'veknowneachotheratYuuko-san'sshop! IteaseyoubecauseI'mflirtingandIdon'treallyknowhowtodoitanyotherway! Pleasedon'thatemeIknowit'swrong!"

It all came out in one breath, leaving him gasping for air.

Kurogane could only stare and blink in surprise. From what he'd understood Fai's liked him for quite some time. The mage still had his eyes closed and he was gripping the pendent so tightly his knuckles were white. He wanted to calm his down, but he had no idea what to say. He'd never had to deal with something like this before.

In his world if girls showed him interest he ignored them and shrugged them off. He'd even turned down a few guys. But, to do such things to Fai seem bad, heartless almost. He didn't want to, because in some part of himself, he had an odd feeling he shared the other's emotions. If he wanted to admit it or not.

Slowly he reached out and placed one hand on the smaller man's shoulder. When it didn't seem to work he figured he was going to need more than that. With a mental nod he grabbed Fai and pulled him into a more-then-awkward hug.

In his arms he felt the other stiffen. "Calm down," he whispered against blonde locks. "I told you I wouldn't hate you. And I don't."

"But you don't like me do you?" he muttered into the ninja's chest.

He rolled his eyes and sighed, making sure he felt it. "Did I say that, Fai?"

Fai finally looked up at him. "Wait, are you saying-"

"I'm not sure. But, I guess there's always a possibility."

The smile he received from Fai then was one that out shined his best. It was so full of happiness and relief and so many other things it had the edges of Kurogane's lips pulling upwards, too. 

_'He likes me,'_ Fai thought happily as he laid on that firm, warm chest he loved, waiting for the kids to come back so Kurogane would go back to being his usual self. It was a nice, but unusual side of the ninja, this soft kindness.

**TBC…**

A/N: Whoot! Okay, because of Fai's little shower scene I had to change the rating on this bit. I still think that's the closest thing you're getting to a lemon, at least until the last chapter. Sorry, no first kiss here either. You'll live. Now, about Fai's little "moment", I have an excuse. When I write I have an idea as to where I'd _like _the story to go. But, the characters have a habit of doing as they please. It happens to me a lot. I'll be writing and telling the character to stop or do something else, but they don't really listen to me. Writing for me is like watching a movie I think I know the ending of. Well, hope you enjoyed. Review please!

Ja ne!


	6. Fourth of July

A/N: Hmm, the next holiday… It's the Fourth baby! For those of you who are not from America and do not know, the fourth of July is America's Independence Day. Fireworks and other such things for all! I love the Fourth, or as I call it, National Blow Shit Up Day! Anyway, have fun with the Tsubasa gang and fireworks. (And Happy Belated Fourth to all you American fans!)

**Over A Year**

She guessed it was a pretty fun celebration. Nothing like she'd ever (remembered) seen in Clow. People lined the streets all day, from dawn to dusk. There had been a parade with people dressed in strange outfits, all of them red, blue, and white. People were waving flags around and having such a good time for no apparent reason. She liked it, though. They'd been so busy the last few worlds; it was nice that they finally had some down time again.

She and Syaoran were a few steps ahead of Kurogane and Fai, who were talking to each other, taking turns keeping an eye trained on them. It made her feel safe and embarrassed at the same time.

Safe because she knew that she could count on them, no matter what. They'd become just like a family in the time they'd spent together. Four strangers at first were now close friends. They looked after each other and cared for each other, just like any family would.

But it was a bit embarrassing that they didn't feel sure enough of the two teens to not watch them like hawks. Sometimes she really wondered if they thought they were her and Syaoran's parents on some level. Not that she minded, but it would be nice if they trusted the pair a little more.

Syaoran was talking to Mokona at the moment, seeing as the little creature was perched on his shoulder, screaming about one of the… floats were they called? It was passing them in the parade, one of the last in line. It was talking about how pretty the girls standing on it were and at some point Sakura heard her name.

Syaoran was a bright red when she looked over at him. "What was that?" she asked.

"Umm, well Mokona was saying that you'd look very nice in that… ahem, red dress, Hime. The one up front," he stuttered, pointing out just which one.

It was a flowing red dress that was covered in splashes of blue and silver glitter making a swirling pattern. It was cut low in the chest and had a slit up to the thigh on both sides. Its sleeves cascaded down from her shoulders in flowing waves of fabric, trimmed in blue and white. It really was a very beautiful dress, though she wasn't sure if she had the assets to pull off the look.

She smiled. "It is very pretty! But I think it looks better on that lady."

"It would look great on you, Hime!" Syaoran blurted before he turned a deeper red and became very interested in his feet. Behind them Fai chuckled softly and said something to Kurogane who rolled his eyes, a small smirk on his face. The same one he had when he knew something other people didn't. Sakura couldn't help but wonder what it was.

She smiled at her friend to calm him down. He got so worked up over little things some times. She thought it was cute, but she'd never have the courage to tell anyone that. They watched the last of the parade pass by before they made to move again.

The sun had started to set and was casting shadows everywhere. Their stomachs had started to rumble so they were in search of a café for them to eat at with the money they'd been able to get a hold of during the last few days. Fai, Mokona, and herself took turns pointing out different eateries while Syaoran and Kurogane followed behind, waiting for them to pick one. She felt bad about making them wait, but all the places looked so good.

Finally, they picked a buffet, themed for the holiday with food that was popular in that world. Hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries, and much more were laid out. Sakura piled up a plate and headed for their table where Mokona waited. She grabbed an empty plate and put half of the food on it when she sat down. Mokona barely had time to thank her before it started eating everything. She giggled and stated on her own meal, enjoying the food a great deal.

The other's joined in soon enough and together they ate and joked, or teased in Fai and Mokona's case. It took until the sun was gone for them to finish everything and walk out with dessert, something called ice cream cones.

They fell into the usual position and continued exploring the town. The parades were all long gone and the majority of the people seemed to be making their way to the beach for something. They tried to follow but it was too crowded and a policeman began to turn people away, telling them where to find other places where they could get a good look at the sky. This did nothing but confuse the group as a whole.

"What's going on in the sky?" Fai wondered aloud as they headed for the tallest building in the city. It wasn't the largest they'd seen on their travels but it was impressive nonetheless.

They passed through hallway after hallway, climbing stairs that seemed to never end. "I don't know, but if everyone is trying so hard to see then it must be good. We're almost there," Kurogane said. He'd been bored in this world, seeing as they'd found no oppositions and near no problems. Everyone was friendly and kind and he had no one to protect everybody from. Sakura imagined he must have been feeling pretty stir crazy, as she remembered Touya putting a similar situation once.

They opened the last door and stepped out into the night air. It was cooler than it had been earlier that day. Syaoran pulled a sweat jacket around Sakura's shoulders before he put one on himself. Fai let his hang around his waist, the arms tied in a secure knot while Kurogane left his black one unzip but on. They walked over to the railing on the side of the building, placed about two feet away from the edge that lead five stories straight down.

It was a clear night, stars twinkled happily, the moon shone in a pale crescent and everything was growing darker in the streets below as shops closed and people left to watch whatever was about to happen. There were a few other people on the roof with them and the princess couldn't help but notice they were all paired off, snuggling close against the slight chill in the air.

Sakura smiled softly and leaned on Syaoran, a daring move on her part. He stiffened for a second and she was sure he looked down at her, but she kept still and her eyes forward. Soon, when he was sure it wasn't an accident or anything, he relaxed and adjusted to be more comfortable for the two of them. Sakura was positively beaming as she felt her cheeks heat up.

She also noticed that Kurogane and Fai had left them alone, though they remained close enough to keep tabs on them as usual. They were always giving her and Syaoran space, like they knew something was going on between the teens. Not that anything was really, even if Sakura really did like him and she was sure he didn't hate her. In fact, they might have a chance once this whole feather ordeal was over with. Fai and Kurogane must have seen it and, being the adults, gave them every chance they could. She'd have to thank them someday.

Mokona sat in Sakura's bag; people here called it a purse, just off to the side, staring up at the sky, waiting like everyone else. It didn't seem to be paying them any mind.

She was relaxing quite nicely, as they'd been sitting there for almost a half hour, when a loud bang sounded, making her and Syaoran both jump to their feet. They looked up at the sky just in time to see some colored light fade away. As it did another bang sounded and light exploded in the sky, near where the last one had been. The people around them clapped while cheering erupted from below. This is what everyone had been waiting for.

But what was it?

"Fireworks," Kurogane said, now closer to them so he could explain. "We had them in my world. You'll like them. Keep watching, they have different shapes and colors." He nodded towards the sky and they turned their eyes back to it as more fireworks shot up and dazzled them.

She grabbed Syaoran's hand and bounced up and down, pointing and babbling wildly. His face was that of pure amazement and awe. They couldn't take their eyes away from the display. But, right before she became completely entranced, she noticed Fai and Kurogane slink off to a place that separated both groups from view. They finally trusted them enough to be on their own. Happy, she lost herself in the sights, sounds, and Syaoran.

Kurogane hadn't been lying when he'd told them about the different shapes and colors.

-_-_-_-_-

Fai smiled at the pair and pulled Kurogane around a corner to give them some alone time. He did it so often it was a wonder that the witch hadn't interfered. Rolling his eyes he followed the mage away from their younger group members, and everyone else. Somehow he'd managed o find an unoccupied corner for them to sit and chat in. Fai didn't seem too interested in the fireworks after a few minutes and Kurogane had seen them so many times before.

They didn't say anything for a while, just sat in the other's company. Fai glanced up at the sky once and a while when a new noise could be heard, resulting in a new show. Kurogane just watched him. It'd been a while since their talk about where they stood with each other. They hadn't brought it up again since, not that they'd had a chance to though.

He weighed the pros and cons of bringing it up now. Eventually, the fact that they were alone and in a comfortable setting became good enough reasons to speak up. But, Fai beat him to it.

"Have you thought about it?" he said softly, eyes shining with the last light of a rocket that had whistled loudly before popping into a brilliant blue light.

He didn't answer until they locked eyes. "Yeah," he leaned back against the wall, "I'm still not positive, but, if you're willing, I'd like to give it a shot."

Kurogane, for all the thinking and contemplating he'd done, could not find a reason to say no to Fai, and a part of himself that had recently decided to speak up in his self-debates. While he still hated the man on some level, the lies and secrets, it was only a small part of his emotions towards the other. And when he tried to use that little bit of detestation against the idea Tomoyo's voice would ring clear in his head.

_'There is no light without dark. No love without hate. Even in the same heart.'_

He knew the lecture had been about something completely unrelated to such a topic, but he just couldn't help but connect them.

Fai thought this over. "Give us a shot, as in a relationship?" He'd mellowed out since he'd spilled the beans to the ninja. He was no longer skittish and all but openly flirted with him. Once or twice he'd practically molested him, and gotten a rise out of the dark man despite his best self control. Thank the Gods the kids had been close by or things might not have stopped there.

He nodded. "Exactly. But, I'm going to tell you now, this is not permanent yet. And," he shot his eyes to the sky, avoiding the blonde's. "I've never been in a relationship like this so I'm not sure what goes on."

Fai was quiet for a minute. "So, does that mean Kuro-chan is a virgin?"

"What the-!"

"Oh! He is! Wait until Mokona finds out!"

Kurogane was on Fai in a second. His fist gripped the other's loose shirt as he pulled him close. "Say _anything _to _anyone_ and I will kill you!"

Fai's grin was sly and calm. "You should know that won't stop me. What are you going to do to keep me quiet?" He came even closer as he spoke.

They were still and quiet for a while, neither knew how long. They also didn't know who it was that moved next. Both of them had no idea who started it.

But both of them were moving closer to each other as the fireworks continued to blast above them. Their eyes slid closed against the colorful lights. The breath of the other ghosted over their face as their lips brushed lightly against the other until they finally pressed together.

Everything fell away until there was nothing but the feel of the other pressed against his chest. Their lips pressed hard against the other pair, arms moved from shirts to necks and waists.

Fai, to both of their surprise, was the first to further their kiss. He ran his tongue along Kurogane's lips, pushing lightly for entrance. The taller man didn't hesitate to grant his request and dart his own tongue to wrestle the mage's.

Through groans and the soft rustle of clothes the two adults sensed someone approaching. A pair of someones that they did not want seeing such a display. They broke apart instantly, trying to level their breathing before Sakura and Syaoran rounded the corner.

Thankfully, both of them were still too distracted by the now finished holiday display to notice the flush on both of their elder group member's faces, their uneven puffs of breath, or their close proximity, which was quickly discarded as a problem as soon as they stood.

Mokona hopped off Sakura's head and into Fai's arms. "Syaoran and Sakura are veeery sleepy," it whispered to the pair. And indeed, the both of them were drooping considerably.

Fai smiled at Kurogane before he went to put a hand on both children's shoulders. "Time for bed kids. Let's go home."

Half way back to the house Sakura dropped. Kurogane managed to catch her and keep Syaoran from falling over himself trying to stop her from hitting the ground. She was carried by the ninja the rest of the way. When they walked in the door Syaoran didn't even change out of his clothes before he went to his room and flopped onto the bed in a very unlike himself way. Mokona snuggled with Sakura and called good nights to the group as a whole as Fai closed the princess' door.

He and Kurogane went into their room, dressing in their night clothes, and getting ready for bed. It had been a very eventful day and it was even starting to wear on them. Fai was already curled up under the blankets when Kurogane climbed in beside him. He settled himself and closed his eyes, ready for a peaceful night's sleep.

An arm shot out from beneath the covers and wrapped itself around his chest, pulling someone tightly against his back. He opened one ruby eye and he peered behind him and growled. "Mage, what are you doing?"

He knew the blonde was smiling, even if he couldn't see it. "Snuggling, Kuro-min. What do you think I'm doing?" His voice was nothing but play and mischief.

He snorted. "Given the past few weeks I'm not really sure," he replied.

Fai burrowed closer. "I'm too tired for such games, Kuro-rin."

Something in Kurogane decided to trust him. He shrugged and muttered an uninterested sound before he settled once again, this time with a blonde magician draped over him.

It turned out to be a very peaceful night's sleep after all. One of the best wither had had in quite a while.

**TBC…**

A/N: Wow, this took forever to get out. Well, have at it kids. Like the first kiss? I'll have more coming! I have no idea why I started this off in Sakura's PoV. I guess she was feeling ignored. Ah well, I like it. Let me know what you guys think! Review! Please!

Ja ne!


	7. Independence Day

A/N: Looks like you're not all gone on me! Great to know! Okay, I'm starting to think that this chapter won't be focusing too much on a holiday like the others have been. It's still got to do with one, but not as the central idea. Anyway, enjoy, 'cause I'm sure you don't care about these details so long as you get your KuroFai.

**Over a Year**

Parties, parties everywhere. And all the people! It was almost over whelming. Even the beaches were packed. Fai was shocked that they had been able to see the sand that lay beneath the crowd. People were truly everywhere they could be. Sidewalks, streets, beaches, yards, parks. You name it, people flocked there.

From what the group had been able to gather, today was an anniversary of sorts. The day their country had broken free of another's unwanted rule. They called it Independence Day. A fitting and simple name for such an event.

What a way to celebrate. People cooked outside on little open fires in metal boxes, children ran the streets, spraying each other with water to keep cool and have fun, and colorful decorations littered every surface and post something could be attached to. The country's flag waved in the occasional breeze from every house. It was a nice sight to see, such unity and pride of one's home. There had never been anything like this in Celes. He faintly wondered why.

"Mage!" came the booming voice of a dark-haired ninja. "Don't get lost spacing out! Keep close!"

Fai smiled at the man. "Coming!"

He did his best to push through the thick mass of people and reach his friends, but it was looking impossible. Then, suddenly, someone's hand grabbed hold of his own and pulled him along. The hand was warm and rough, but its hold was gentle and careful not to be too tight.

Kurogane had come to his rescue. "How valiant," he laughed aloud.

The other just shot him back that look that told him he was being silly. He loved that look, it was so… amused, without the one giving it even knowing. There were a lot of things he loved about the taller man. He could go on about it for days on end. But he didn't. Kurogane didn't need to know just how much of him Fai knew in detail.

They made it to Sakura and Syaoran, who had been looking for them from the side of a street. Mokona was bouncing around inside Sakura's bag, calling out whenever it saw something it wanted or liked. It was so busy and loud no one noticed the little creature.

"Sorry about that," Fai said, waving the hand Kurogane had been holding a second ago back and forth in front of his face.

The kids smiled and assured him it wasn't a problem. They entered the shop they had stopped in front of, trying their hardest to get out of the oppressive crowd. It turned out that they had walked right into a book store. Fai caught sight of Syaoran and Kurogane's faces as they lit up at the thought of finding something they could read. They were so alike he couldn't help but break into a smile at the sight of his puppy pair.

The group split up, each trying to find something they could read. Before long Syaoran had a stack of books while Kurogane had managed to hunt down a few for himself. The kids went to a corner all their own, part of the pile Syaoran had had been for Sakura it seemed. Fai wondered briefly if she remembered how to read. If she didn't Syaoran would be sure to teach her.

The blonde continued to wander around the store, trying to spot something that looked familiar. Words, writing, anything. They had yet to come to a world where his language was used and he missed reading. It was something that had always brought him some kind of joy and relaxation. He sighed at his companions in envy as he passed through isle after isle.

When he came up empty handed he went to find Kurogane. He might not be able to read but maybe he could snuggle while the other did so. He smiled at the thought of getting the ninja to read him a story.

He wound up finding the kids first. Sakura had her nose buried in a cute-looking book with a girl standing on the cover, gazing up at a fairy that was floating above a pumpkin. A fairytale if the cover was anything to go by. Syaoran was flipping through three different books at the same time. They must have been history books by the way he seemed to be cross referencing them.

Grinning at the pair he moved on, still searching for Kurogane. He poked his head in all sorts of reading nooks, some empty others filled with people. None of them had the ninja in them though. He was getting worried by the time he'd peered in nook eight. Where was that man? There were only so many places someone could go and read in peace.

Finally, he made it to the last nook and found a pair of girls sitting in it, giggling over a book together. He turned away and walked off to a back corner of the store to lean against a book shelf and think. Kurogane had disappeared. He slumped across the shop, keeping his eyes and ears peeled for the other man, though he was sure he wasn't going to find him at that point. He'd probably left, knowing the group was safe and stationary, to go and explore for some kind of challenge or sporty brawl.

He knew that Kurogane had been growing bored in this world. It wasn't the nicest of places, but no one had dared step up to him yet. Syaoran had had a bit of a run in with some younger thugs. He'd taught them a nice lesson in the end. They had even apologized before running off.

Fai smiled again at just how similar his puppies were. He knew Sakura shared a few of his more redeeming qualities, the very few he had, but he would have never guessed at just how much alike the two of them would be. It was like he and Kurogane being so similar, it was just so strange.

_CRASH!_

And speaking of strange ninja…

Fai stood up and looked around quickly. He knew he had just heard a loud and very unpleasant noise. Where had it come from?

Suddenly, it sounded again. He peered up at the window above him. It was outside. Someone was outside causing this racket. Carefully, and silently, he lifted himself up so that he could see into the alley on the other side using the shelves as a place to stand.

There was some good and bad on the other side of the window. The good was he had finally located Kurogane. The bad was that he was surrounded by several burly men who looked several steps passed homicidal. With a few quick checks he snuck out of the building and into the alley just in time to dodge a very sharp and pointy knife.

"Ahh!" he cried as he rolled under the dark toned man who had thankfully not managed to slice him. He stood and wound up having to duck to avoid a thick fist that probably could have taken off his head. After a few stumbles backwards he found himself beside Kurogane, who had an odd mixture of surprise, pleasure and utter irritation. Directed toward what he wasn't sure.

"Kuro-sama," Fai whispered, sounding as uncaring as he could, "I wonder what you could have done to irk these men so."

The ninja huffed. "I didn't do anything. They tried to mug me, so I kicked their asses, or I will be kicking their asses shortly."

Fai smiled, he should have known. Even if the dark man wasn't looking for a fight it would find him. He readied himself. He was there so, why not?

One of the men started laughing; it was the one that had almost stabbed Fai. "What? Is this fairy your back up?"

"Yes," the pair chorused.

The group of would-be muggers shared another laugh before Fai struck the nearest one after Kurogane had given him the look that plainly told him to prove them wrong. And the blonde was only too happy to do so. He dashed at the closest thug, a man only a few inches taller than Syaoran but nearly three times as thick. The man realized what was happening far too late.

With ease, Fai grabbed his shoulder and flipped over him, making sure his heel connected with the man's chin, yanking his entire head up painfully and at an angle that could not have been pleasant, or safe if he stopped to think about it. He landed easily and spun 180 degrees before he was brought to a stop as his leg met with the back of the third mugger's knee, knocking the burly man to the ground.

Usually, he would have jumped back a few paces and kept out of reach, but there was no need. Just as the knife was aimed at him Kurogane came from behind Fai's attacker, grabbed his shoulder to turn him around, and punched him directly in the face, causing him to recoil, drop the knife, and bury his face in his hands. The magician spotted blood dripping from in between his fingers after a few seconds. He glanced behind him and saw the other two rising. However, they did not attack again. They turned tail with frightened faces and ran for it. Fai waved good bye to them as Kurogane picked up their leader and tossed him inside an open dumpster.

Smiling Fai walked over to the ninja. "What did you really do to them, Kuro-puu?"

He saw his answer in the man's smirk. "Like I said; nothing. Now, let's get back inside before the kids realized we're missing."

Fai pretended to pout. He sauntered up close to the taller male. "They had a whole lot of books, and seemed _very _interested in them. I don't think they'll be looking for us anytime soon. Why don't we go enjoy the parties?" He batted his eyes and smiled. "I'm sure we could find some alcohol _somewhere_."

The taller one didn't even try to argue at that point. He knew well enough that, even if he did try to resist and go back into the book store with the kids, he was not going to be able to stop from doing what the mage wanted. It was rather unfair if one thought about it.

Not that Fai cared. He got his way when it came to the warrior, and he liked it that way.

The pair proceeded to exit the alleyway, not paying any mind to the pained whines coming from the large trash bin.

Fai pulled Kurogane off and straight into the throng of people lining the streets and walk ways. Many stores were open, some had sales on their merchandise, some sold food, some even were simply places to sit and rest for a while before continuing. The couple stopped every few doors, looking at the interesting trinkets and objects being displayed and grabbing a bite to eat and a drink every time they ran out.

Before they knew it the sun was setting and they were half way across town. Fai tugged on Kurogane's arm as he looked up at the sky. Without a word the ninja grabbed the wizard and ran off, back the way they had come. "Kuro-rinta, slow down!"

Kurogane stopped dead and looked over at the blonde. The next few words that came out of his mouth were both familiar and foreign at the same time. They were too far from Mokona. Fai tried desperately to remember the few words he'd learned from Kurogane a few months back, but nothing came to him.

"Must… fast… children…" the crude sentence came from Kurogane hesitantly but clearly, in Fai's own language. Fai couldn't stop himself from smiling before nodding and running off through the ever thick crowd and towards the book shop.

When the building was back in sight they picked up their speed, bursting through the door and heading directly for the nook they'd left them. The two adults froze and smiled warmly at the sight of their charges cuddled up on a love seat, books strewn everywhere, and fast asleep. The princess had her head resting on Syaoran's shoulder as she held Mokona, both snoring cutely. Syaoran had one arm in his lap and the other wrapped around Sakura's waist. He looked so content.

Not having the heart to wake them Kurogane wrote a simple letter telling them that he and Fai were just outside, enjoying the sights. They picked up the books and set them in the return bin, seeing as they would not be in the world much longer, before leaving Fai's coat and Kurogane's cloak over the snoozing trio.

Outside they located a bench under a tree with wispy, hanging branches. No one was nearby and they were hidden from view while still being able to see the door to the building the kids were in. Fai decided this was as good a time as any to try his luck with the other. He started by taking his seat as close to the ninja as he could without touching. Slowly he scooted closer until their hips were touching. At that point Kurogane either didn't notice or was pretending not to for some reason, and seeing how perceptive he usually was it was more than likely it was the latter.

Having met with no resistance the blonde leaned his head on the taller man's shoulder, grabbed hold of his hand and all but curled up next to him with a happy sigh. For a moment Kurogane tensed and Fai was sure he got a rather scathing look. But, he was not shooed away and the ninja relaxed within seconds. The magician's face broke into a wonderful smile, small but no doubt brilliant.

He chanced a peek at Kurogane's face, only to have their eyes meet. Before he had the thought to look away quickly, as was still his impulse, Kurogane's face was drawing steadily closer to his own. He felt his chest flutter wildly and his hand squeeze tight. Kurogane's eyes closed slowly and Fai followed his example. He could almost feel the other's lips pressed against his own, no doubt warm and firm, if not a little chapped.

They were only a breath away when someone called out to them. "Fai-san! Kurogane-san! Where are you?"

The children were up.

Fai felt the ninja pull back and almost could have sworn he heard him curse under his breath. Though, the reason was unknown. The taller man stood and waved over the children. "Here!" he called as they came running.

Fai smiled over at them and also waved. He leaned against Kurogane until they were closer. For some reason they looked positively exuberant. "What happy faces! Did something _good_ happen?" He placed just enough emphasis on the word good to get his hint across.

Blushing madly the pair handed back the wizard's coat and the warrior's cloak. Mokona hopped onto Fai's shoulder and exclaimed the joyful news. "Syaoran found a feather in one of the books! All without Mokona's help! But Mokona still knew where it was," The creature added, as not to seem unhelpful.

"Wonderful!" Fai sang. "So, I suppose that means we can get moving?"

And they did. Mokona opened its mouth and they were transported away to the next world. Fai was glad for the sudden movement. It helped him not to think about just what he might have done with Kurogane. He had a feeling things were moving a bit too fast.

**TBC…**

A/N: Mwahahaha! No kiss! I'm a bad person on so many levels. Sorry it took forever. I have no reason. I just have not gotten around to it between school and work and life! SHAME ON ME!!!!

On another note: it has been more than a year since this has been published! I think we're half way there… right? Well, I'm off, right now, no lie, to work on the next chapter: Labor Day (with a twist). See you there!


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